


eternal

by towokuwusatsuwu



Category: HiGH&LOW: the Story of S.W.O.R.D. (TV)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, First Kiss, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Moving On, Multi, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 22:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15783471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/towokuwusatsuwu/pseuds/towokuwusatsuwu
Summary: nothing lasts forever, and hiroto knows this better than anyone after he loses smokey. but a chance encounter when he comes to visit smokey's grave has him reconsidering the life he's going to lead now that smokey is gone.





	eternal

Hiroto ties the flowers with a ribbon and lays them on Smokey’s grave late in the evening, folding his hands and sending a prayer up for Smokey’s soul. The tears he has for this man have dried up for now, burning down his cheeks every single time he tries to lay his head on his pillow until his throat was raw and his eyes ached every time he blinked. Though the time they had with one another was short, Hiroto thinks he might never recover from this loss, the weight of Smokey’s love for him weighing heavily on his shoulders instead of wrapping around him in a warm and comforting way. He’ll always carry it with him just the same.

The space around the grave is quiet, the Rude Boys giving Smokey as much space as they can, allowing him to rest in peace. This is how Hiroto hears the footsteps, faint though they are, distant though they are. He stands slowly, his joints sore from so much fighting, so many restless nights spent with his head pressed into Masaki’s shoulder. How many times has he asked God why it had to be Smokey? Far more times than he can count.

At the edge of the building Pi stops, his dark red hair vivid against the shadows, body shrinking back as if he did not want to be caught. Hiroto’s throat tightens at the sight of him; the two of them have hardly had any contact since Smokey’s death more through Hiroto’s doing than anyone else’s. When Smokey had been alive, he was in this place frequently to visit, and though he and Smokey remained romantically involved, that sentiment never spread any further to the men Smokey kept the closest. Even though Smokey loved them, Hiroto was shy, and his heart was hardly ready to open up more than it already had.

Seeing Pi now does something to the inside of his chest, his heart thudding harder against his ribs. Maybe it’s nerves but Hiroto doesn’t stop to think that much about it, turning to walk toward where Pi stands, arms limp at his sides. The first time they met, Hiroto thought he would never meet someone with so much energy just beneath the surface like he might burst into frantic movement at any moment. Now, though, as Hiroto moves closer to him, the only words he can think of are  _ exhausted _ and  _ drained. _

“Pi,” he calls out, his voice echoing around them, “did you come to see me?”

Pi nods once, spreading his hands out in front of him. “You haven’t been around in a while, and some of the others saw you show up. I was the first one they told. I just… It’s been so long.”

“It has been.” Hiroto tries for a smile that only just barely makes it onto his face. “But I’m here.”

Something in his words seems to act as a trigger, Pi’s body blurring into movement, shooting across the grass. He’s airborne before he reaches Hiroto, but Hiroto knows him well and his arms are already out, his body already buoyed for the impact so that Pi lands in his arms and only staggers him just a little. Pi’s arms snake around his shoulders and cling to him, face coming to press against the side of his neck, Pi choking around a whimper against his skin.

“Hiroto,” he says, and his voice comes out broken. “We missed you so much.”

Hiroto nods, hands coming to grip under Pi’s thighs, keeping Pi wrapped around him like he wants to be. “I know,” he says, “and I missed you, too. I’m so sorry.”

He has a lot to be sorry for, but mostly Hiroto apologizes for how scant he’s been around the Nameless Street and how little he’s been with the others. Every part of him wants to turn back time, to come here immediately after, to keep coming back no matter how many sleepless nights he spent alone. Maybe he wouldn’t have felt so alone if he’d come to see Smokey’s boys.

Pi snuffles against the side of his neck, a pitiful little wet noise that threatens to break Hiroto’s heart all over again. “Don’t be sorry. I get it. I just… I missed you.”

“Okay.” Hiroto chances kissing the side of his head, just to do it.

“I thought you’d be here.” Yu’s voice breaks up their little moment but Pi makes no movement to climb down from Hiroto’s arms, so Hiroto keeps holding onto him. “Hey, Amamiya. Finally decide to make an appearance after all, huh?”

Hiroto detects no venom in Yu’s voice so he just nods, resting his cheek against Pi’s head. “Yeah. How have you been holding up?”

“Could be worse, I suppose. We’ve all still got each other.” Yu pats Pi on the back when he makes it to them, and he’s smiling even if his eyes are tired.

“It’s good to see you’re smiling,” Hiroto admits.

Yu beams up at him, then sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “Yeah, but, uh, Takeshi’s not holding up too well? Stressful, getting everything put back together and with Smokey gone… Yeah. I was just coming to ask if maybe you’d come to see him, too.”

Hiroto knows Takeshi well; Smokey kept him the closest and spoke so highly of him, leaving the Rude Boys and the Nameless Street in his hands when he passed away. Even though the two of them never had a close relationship, Hiroto can feel nothing but pride for Takeshi being able to pick up the pieces at all given everything he lost and the serious injury he avoided when the rubble fell down atop him. Word traveled; Cobra told Hiroto about how Takeshi could have died, about how the Nameless Street could have lost their second leader, and quickly.

He said it in a tone of voice that suggested Hiroto needed to move his ass to come see everyone here, unsurprising for the leader of Sannoh Rengokai.

“Yeah,” Hiroto says, giving Pi’s thighs a squeeze. “I’ve come to see you all.”

Yu leads the way and since Pi still makes no move to get down, Hiroto carries him, managing the extra weight easily because even pure muscle, Pi weighs little in Hiroto’s arms. His power is in his punches and that means he has extraordinary strength, something he’d been teased about a few times. It comes in handy now, though; Pi’s sniffling quiets down and he makes a small, content noise in Hiroto’s ear. Hiroto wonders if he might doze off like this.

Most of the infrastructure in the Nameless Street means that the talented athletics of the Rude Boys are necessary to navigate, but Takeshi is apparently in the room the three of them used to share with Smokey. Hiroto recognizes the familiar path and thinks it must be fair because Pi seems tired, and Takeshi will need his rest. Even though he survived having a building nearly collapse on top of him doesn’t mean he’s in perfect condition.

“He’ll tell you nothing’s wrong, but. You can tell.” Yu shrugs a shoulder and Hiroto hums and nods, knowing  _ exactly _ what Yu is talking about.

Smokey had been the same way, after all.

“Gotta say, I’m really glad to see you around. I got used to you being, like, an unofficial member or something, y’know?” Yu cracks a grin but it’s exhausted and Hiroto wonders how much mourning Smokey has taken out of him. “So having you back, that feels pretty good.”

“I waited a long time. I shouldn’t have, but I’ll be by more often if you want me around,” Hiroto says.

Pi scoffs against his neck, and his voice sounds so tired when he speaks, half-slurring his words against Hiroto’s skin. “Of course we want you around.”

The bedroom is hardly what most would consider to be a proper sleeping space, dark, barely lit by a lantern or two that give the room more shadows than light. There are two futons together on the floor where these three slept with Smokey— Hiroto had been on this bed more than once, curled up between warm bodies, safe and sound. Takeshi is here alone now, sat up against the small mound of pillows, head tipped back against them and eyes closed. They open when Yu leads Hiroto inside, though; he hadn’t been sleeping.

“Yu, I was wondering where you and— Oh.” Takeshi stops speaking, presses his lips together when Hiroto kneels down to set Pi on the futon next to him. Not that he goes without a fight, whining before Hiroto gently eases Pi’s arms from around his neck. “Amamiya. It’s you.”

The tone of his voice is so careful that Hiroto wonders if Takeshi perhaps didn’t want him to come at all. “I came to lay flowers at Smokey’s grave and heard I was missed here.”

Takeshi’s face softens and his body relaxes slowly, his head falling back against the pillows once more. “You are,” he says, his voice faint. “We didn’t think you’d ever come back.”

“But he’s here now, right?” Yu plops down on the futon, kicking off his shoes before leaning over to take Pi’s off. “I told you he was going to come back and see us. We both told you.”

“I’m sorry for staying away for so long. I shouldn’t have.” Hiroto takes his own boots off and shrugs out of his jacket, laying it over top of his boots before he leans forward, fingers curling around Takeshi’s wrist. “That was wrong of me. We were all mourning. We could have mourned together, and we probably should have.”

Takeshi hums, turning his hand over, fingers brushing over the palm of Hiroto’s hand. “But you’re here now, and that’s better than not being here at all.”

“I’m glad you feel that way instead of rightfully being pissed at me for being distant.” He doesn’t know if he could handle that, truth be told, though he would certainly deserve that and more. “Would you like me to stay the night? I hadn’t intended to, but I wouldn’t mind, and you all look so tired it would feel wrong to just… Leave without making the offer.”

“Do you want to stay?” Pi asks, reaching out to touch Hiroto’s arm.

Hiroto smiles softly. “Yeah, actually. I’d really like that. I miss old times here.”

“There’s still room for you here. Smokey not being here doesn’t mean you’re not one of us anymore.” Takeshi makes a point by scooting over, creating a space between his body and Pi’s, and it’s small but Hiroto could wedge himself in there, skin to skin. “C’mon, Amamiya. Yu, turn off the lights. It’s almost night, we can turn in a little early.”

Yu moves to the lanterns and Hiroto lets Takeshi and Pi reach for him, pulling him in by his shirt, into the space between their bodies. It’s warm here, so warm, even though the Nameless Street has no luxuries and barely any way to stay warm during the colder seasons. Yu also takes it upon himself to cover them all with blankets, ratty and torn here and there but it doesn’t matter to Hiroto. What matters is the way Pi presses up against his back, the way Takeshi lets Hiroto pull him in close before Yu settles in against Takeshi’s back, stretching out a hand to touch Hiroto’s side, letting him know he’s near.

“It’s nice to have you back,” Takeshi tells him, their foreheads almost pressed together. “I know it was probably hard for you. It was hard for all of us. But we always want you here.”

Hiroto feels that sting behind his eyes. He so rarely lets himself show much emotion except when it’s dark or if Masaki is the only one there to see it, but here, he knows it’s safe. With these men, he has nothing to fear. “I’m glad. I want to be here more often, to see all of you.”

“It’s what Smokey would want,” Pi says, voice soft and sleepy. “For all of us to be together even though he’s… He wouldn’t want you to go away from us.”

“Y’know, like, Smokey  _ would _ want that but also Smokey isn’t here.  _ We _ want you around. We want to see you more often, hang out with you, have fun with you. We used to have a lot of fun together.” Yu’s voice is stronger and Hiroto thinks he might, secretly, have his shit together more than anyone else right now. He’s labored for it for sure. “I wanna see you more often. I wanna spend time with you. So do Takeshi and Pi, and you look pretty happy right now.”

Hiroto smiles and nods, leaning in so he can press his forehead against Takeshi’s, relishing the closeness, the warmth, the familiarity. “I am happy to be here with all of you.”

“Then stay.” Takeshi’s voice is rough with emotion. “You don’t have to leave because he did.”

“I will.” Hiroto leans back so he can look at Takeshi properly, can see the slight shimmer of tears that only seem to magnify the sadness that has cloaked all of them for so long. “I’ll stay.”

Takeshi tilts his head back and the window above their heads is grimy but the moonlight spills through it just the same, a pale silver light that makes Takeshi’s eyes glow, dances in his dark gaze. He looks fragile when Hiroto has only ever thought of Takeshi as strong, able to bear the weight of the Rude Boys alongside Smokey’s illness, doing his best to keep everyone and everything together. They’ve both lost a lot in this war against Kuryu but Hiroto is only just now seeing it on Takeshi’s face, the way it’s aged him.

And all he wants is Hiroto to stay.

So Hiroto kisses him. Takeshi’s lips are chapped and uncertain against his own but Hiroto kisses him, a hand drifting up to touch his face, thumbing away the stray tear when it falls. Slowly, oh so slowly, Takeshi kisses him back, their mouths moving together slow and easy, finding a rhythm that works for them that they’ve never had before. Hiroto feels bolder when Takeshi kisses him back even though he’s unskilled, clumsy with his lips and tongue, hand fisting in the front of Hiroto’s shirt. Bold enough that he wraps a hand around the back of Takeshi’s neck and takes full control of the kiss, licking into his mouth.

“Holy shit,” Yu says when Hiroto finally pulls back, panting softly from the lack of oxygen.

“Wow,” Pi murmurs, and Hiroto can’t help a little smile even though his face is burning. “Okay, so, I know you’re not the most… Forward person but please tell me Takeshi isn’t going to hog you this time. I put up with it for Smokey but—”

“Pi!” Takeshi squawks, his eyes widening.

Hiroto laughs, covering his eyes with a hand, needing a moment to gather himself. “It’s okay,” he says, and sits up, and turns to face Pi, holding his arms out to him. “C’mon. I… I can’t promise I can open up all the way for you immediately, but I can give you kisses.”

Pi stares up at him, eyes wide with wonder, lips parted just slightly, and then he launches himself into Hiroto’s arms. He’s a more frantic kisser but Hiroto slows him down, runs his hands up and down Pi’s back to relax him, taking his time with exploring Pi’s mouth. He has a bit more skill than Takeshi did, clearly having done this plenty of times before, and his hands are everywhere before they settle on Hiroto’s arms, fingers digging into his biceps. When he leans back, his face is flushed, his eyes lidded, a pleased little smile on his face.

“Yu,” Hiroto says, glancing over to where Yu is still spooned up against Takeshi. “You next?”

“Sure!” Yu crawls over Takeshi carefully and he’s fierce and lively in a way Pi even wasn’t, and Hiroto can hardly match him. He doesn’t kiss him once but over and over again, sucking on Hiroto’s tongue, dragging his teeth over Hiroto’s lower lip until it feels sensitive and tender, soothing it with his tongue immediately after. His eyes gleam, bright and wild.

Takeshi sits up slowly and Hiroto steals another kiss because he can, enjoying the startled little sound Takeshi makes against his lips before leaning into it. This feels… Good, feels  _ right, _ like it’s always meant to be this way. Maybe Hiroto should have come by earlier after all.

“Not that sitting up all night kissing doesn’t sound great,” Pi murmurs, “but I’m really tired.”

“Ah, it’s been a hard day, all that rubble we were moving.” Yu leans over to nuzzle Pi’s neck, Pi’s eyes falling shut at the gentle touch. “Bed sounds good, you’re right. We can kiss in the morning since Hiroto’s going to be staying the night with us.”

Takeshi’s head comes to rest on Hiroto’s shoulder. “Agreed. Hiroto… Thank you.”

“Don’t thank you. This is as good for me as it is for all of you, I think. Being here. Being with you.” Hiroto lays back down and holds out his arms, Pi immediately settling down on top of his chest while Takeshi curls up beside him, Yu spooning up against Takeshi’s back once more.

It’s better than it has any right to be, this moment. It feels like it could and should last forever, and maybe it will— the sentiment, the emotion here. Hiroto is weighed down on both sides, Pi’s fingers curled loosely on his chest, Takeshi’s arm wrapped securely around his waist, Yu’s hand stretched out to rest on his stomach.

Maybe not forever. Things change, and nothing is eternal, something Hiroto has learned. Something Kohaku had taught him, and time. But for now, he’s willing to cling to this moment, this feeling, and these men.

And he’s going to be right here to kiss them all good morning when the sun rises.


End file.
